Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,215,138 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA — including 138,663 crashes, 56,255 fires, and 8,561 deaths.
What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?
A consumer complaint is a free-form report filed by a vehicle owner directly to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) describing a safety concern about their vehicle. NHTSA collects these reports through its Vehicle Owner Defect Report (VOQ) system and publishes them publicly. Each complaint includes the affected component, the date and circumstances of the incident, whether the failure caused a crash or fire, and any reported injuries or deaths. The owner's full narrative description is included verbatim — NHTSA does not edit or moderate the descriptions.
The database below contains over 2,215,138 individual complaints. NHTSA's investigators monitor it for clusters of similar reports — when enough owners describe the same failure mode on the same vehicle, NHTSA may open a Preliminary Evaluation that can lead to a recall. Many of the largest recalls in U.S. history, including the Takata airbag recall and the Hyundai/Kia engine fire recalls, started as patterns visible in this complaint database years before they became formal recalls.
How to interpret what you read
A few principles for reading consumer complaints usefully:
- One complaint is anecdote; a hundred similar complaints is data. NHTSA does not investigate the truthfulness of any individual report — that's the job of the Office of Defects Investigation, which looks at the full pattern. When evaluating a vehicle, look for whether multiple owners describe the same chain of events.
- Crash, fire, injury, and death flags are owner-set. They are not verified by NHTSA. They are still useful as a filter, because owners who tick those boxes are typically reporting more serious incidents than those who don't.
- Component categories are NHTSA-assigned, not owner-assigned. NHTSA standardizes the component field so that complaints can be aggregated. The owner narrative often goes into more detail than the component category captures.
- Complaint volume scales with sales volume. A best-selling model will accumulate more raw complaints than a niche model even at the same defect rate. To compare across vehicles, look at complaints per 100,000 units sold, not raw counts.
If you've experienced a defect
File a complaint. NHTSA's investigators rely on this database to detect emerging defects, and useful complaints — specific, concrete, with dates and mileage and clear descriptions of what happened — feed directly into the agency's pattern detection. The form takes about 10 minutes and is at nhtsa.gov/recalls under "Report a Safety Problem." Your complaint becomes part of the same public record that this page is built from. Owners filing detailed VOQs are how recalls get triggered.
Read more from our blog
Showing 48,554 complaints — component: SUSPENSION
Incident date: Nov 21, 2021
While merging onto the interstate yesterday, there was a slight bump in the road and the truck began violently vibrating, including the steering wheel. The vibration lasted at least 10 seconds this time, making steering very difficult. This is at least the third time this has happened in the past 2 months. Upon researching, this seems to be an very big issue with these trucks & has been named "t... Read more
Incident date: Nov 9, 2021
Rear suspension making "banging" noise when turning. Mechanic states rear suspension cradle badly corroded resulting in passenger side sway bar being disconnected. Sway bar connection pulled away from frame leaving gap in frame. Mechanic states unrepairable due to extensive frame corrosion.
Incident date: Oct 8, 2021
TOE LINK SNAPPED. Driver rear.. Then passenger rear a few weeks later. The driver almost lost control of vehicle.
Incident date: Nov 18, 2021
I have had so many problems with this vehicle. I have had to replace two coils, had the air conditioner fixed, had to replace my rear shocks, which caused me to have to buy two new rear tires, the windshield wiper motor was replaced, my car was burning oil until I got a recall for that. Now my blower fan for the heater is not working, I only have 66000, miles on this car. All these issues coul... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2008 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that when he entered his driveway at a slow speed, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the rear end of the vehicle. Upon inspection, the contact saw that the rear subframe had detached from the vehicle without warning. The contact also discovered severe corrosion on the frame and subframe which he linked to the failure. The con... Read more
Incident date: Nov 18, 2021
I was driving down the road at approximately 60 mph and the steering wheel and whole truck started to shake violently. I had to slow down to around 20 mph to get it to stop. I had an almost impossible time just keeping the truck under control. This has happened twice now within the past 3 weeks
Incident date: Aug 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2002 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 15 MPH, there was an abnormal sound of metal fragments dropping. The vehicle was seen by an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the underneath of the vehicle was rusted. The contact was unaware of what parts had detached from the vehicle or needed to be replaced. In addition, the vehicle was ... Read more
NISSAN
PATHFINDER
(1997) — SUSPENSION
Nov 22, 2021
Incident date: Jan 4, 2021
The vehicle swings left to right when cruising at about any speed. When the vehicle is pulling it does not swing or sway, however once the vehicle has got up to a desired speed and you try to maintain a steady speed it starts a “death wobble” which nearly cannot hold it on correct side of the road. You have to increase speed or reduce speed dramatically to regain control of the vehicle.
Incident date: Aug 27, 2021
Front control arm separation.
Incident date: Nov 22, 2021
To: I have a 2013 ram 1500 4x4 my miles 48,000 .Generally safety defect the drive shaft column, lower steering shaft column intermediate. Like all Bushings control arms, ball joint and lower ,upper, bar links , etc.The defects components fall apart easy to the bolts, nuts, rubber bushing. Its a problem for poses a very risk to all drivers on road. Definitely it should bring ATTENTION to all 2013 r... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Nov 22, 2021
The frame of the vehicle has severe rust and now has holes in the frame, making it unsafe to drive and possibly causing an accident. Meticulous care has been taken of this vehicle and it is never taken off road or abused. I’ve had several other vehicles and have never had this frame rust safety issue.
Incident date: Nov 2, 2021
Frame has rotted out before rear wheels and cross support for gas tank. Toyota did a recall on it in 2014 but the fix didn't last 7 years and now this vehicle could break in half or loose its gas tank creating a danger to driver and / or others. The vehicle is in great shape and low mileage and is nowhere near end of life otherwise. Toyota is offering no support at this time claiming they fixed... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2021
Dodge death wobble. Hit a bridge gap almost lost control. Definitely in the front end suspension or linkage? Recall other vins not mine in the same year? Not confirmed yet. Needs to have same recalls as the others 2009 dodge ram 2500 5.7 Hemi big horn.
Incident date: Nov 11, 2021
I brought my Honda in to Easy Honda in Spring branch Texas for some electrical problems. Turned out to be a fuse but I had to wait two extra hours until a mechanic who could use the computer came in.The front tie rod ends are completely shot on a well cared for car after only 17000 miles. And they want $250 to fix it. My son is a licensed mechanic and let me know that on a Honda those should neve... Read more
Incident date: Oct 22, 2021
I took my vehicle in to the dealer where I always have it serviced, and asked them to do a front end alignment, since it pulls slightly and I noticed a little uneven tire wear. The mechanic said the front suspension is too rusted to align. I took the vehicle to a tire shop recommended by the dealer service advisor, and they said it is extremely rusted and sprayed some penetrating oil on it. I pos... Read more
GMC
SIERRA 1500
(2020) — SUSPENSION
Nov 21, 2021
Incident date: Nov 21, 2021
At 8,000 miles I started hearing a clunking noise in my truck when I hit a small bump or back up out of drive way. Brought in and GMC stated it was normal and no issues at walser buick gmc of Roseville. Brought I back again because it was getting worse and could hear it every time I slowed down and accelerated. Then stated they need to order spacer bushings at walser of Bloomington. Then went back... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2021
BMW NA and its authorized dealership and self-funded arbitration program business practices and conducts are unfair, dishonest, and unlawful. I purchased my certified pre-owned car, a lease return with extremely low mileage, 25,922 miles covered under the terms of the BMW New Vehicle Warranty and the BMW Certified Pre-Owned warranty. My family's safety has been at significant risk by the willfu... Read more
Incident date: Apr 12, 2021
My Buick Envision started to occasionally create notable vibration in the front and traveling into the steering column. I brought the car to a GMC Buick dealership in Amite, LA(4/13/21) it was there for 3 days. The problem couldn't be duplicated. Next the car was brought to Royal Buick, Baton Rouge, LA(10/26-11/6/21.Having trouble controlling the car on each occurs.
Incident date: Nov 17, 2021
I was driving and felt the wheel jerk and heard a crack noise under the front end of my car immediately after my vehichle was pulled abruptly to left causing me to hit a curb. WHen I got out and inspected the vehichle it looked as if the tire had been tilted inwards towards the car. I had the car towed to my local mechanic they told me that this is part of a recall and I needed to go through the d... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Nov 19, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Cadillac SRX. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V473000 (Suspension). The vehicle was repaired but after retrieving the vehicle it was discovered that the ABS, Stabilitrak and traction control warning lights were all illuminated. The cause of the failure was not determined. The service center refu... Read more
Incident date: Nov 3, 2021
When going over 45 mph the steering wheel of the truck violently shakes and is hard to control.
Incident date: Nov 17, 2021
While traveling approximately 60 MPH on a divided four lane road the truck drove over a small bump (crack/pothole) in the road, immediately following the truck started to develop a suspension wobble that resonated through the steering wheel and increased in amplitude quickly. I quickly identified what was happening and applied a liberal amount of braking which caused the wobble to subside immediat... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2021
While driving from Texarkana Texas to Cleveland Texas today, I experienced three cases of the “Death Wobble” on my 2019 F250 Super Duty truck. This truck has only 22,800 miles on it and has no off road miles on it. This problem occurred when encountering only minor bumps in the road. This is a serious problem for several years now. I also had this problem with a new 2017 model with only 26... Read more
Incident date: Nov 16, 2021
My problem is with Steering and or Suspension. A common issue with these trucks known as "The Death wobble" steering wheel and truck shake so violently that it will rip the wheel out of you hand. it is one of the scariest things especially if towing a trailer! It is even more scary if you have no idea what it is, IE my wife will no longer be able to use my truck unless I know it won't happen becau... Read more
Incident date: Nov 19, 2021
The vehicle is experiencing a very violent shaking/wobble after hitting a bridge seam or railroad tracks at higher speeds. The violent shaking does not stop until speed is reduced significantly (<40-50 mph). This could be very dangerous in certain situations such as heavy traffic, in a curve, or while towing. The shaking is so violent it certainly puts significant stress on steering components... Read more
FREIGHTLINER
CASCADIA
(2019) — SUSPENSION
Nov 18, 2021
Incident date: Oct 29, 2021
:steering. Yes :was unable to steer properly into a curve in road, resulting in truck slamming into ditch. :no :yes :no incident occurred 10/29/2021. we never received any indication of issues until weeks after. upon looking further into the recall we saw that the notices were set to be sent out 10/30/2021. one day after incident. furthermore we also see another recall that was never fixed from 9... Read more
Crash
2 injured
Incident date: Sep 2, 2021
I am having transmission issues. The car vibrates when I am driving and accelerating between 15-50MPH. I also have water coming in my vehicle and causing mold from the passenger side. I have taken the car to 3 dealers and I have contacted Nissan. There has not been a resolution yet. I had the transfer case repaired twice within less than a month at a Nissan dealer. The vibrating/growling noise ... Read more
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2015) — SUSPENSION
Nov 18, 2021
Incident date: Nov 18, 2021
For no reason at approximately 57,000 miles vehicle developed a strong intermittent shudder at at low RPMs on highway alignment seems has not corrected issue and vehicle has always had a concerning vibration I have been told is "normal" vehicle is on its second transmission and torque converter and the warranty just ran out and it seems like it wants to fall apart these issues have been ongoing an... Read more
KEYSTONE
CROSSROADS REDWOOD
(2021) — SUSPENSION
Nov 18, 2021
Incident date: Aug 1, 2020
The contact owns a 2021 Keystone Redwood Travel trailer. The contact stated while driving approximately 60-65 MPH, the rear end of the travel trailer was bouncing around. The failure caused the travel trailer's floor to bend, the roof and kitchen area located behind the rear axles separated. The travel trailer was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with structural failure that could not be repaired... Read more
FOREST RIVER
CHEROKEE
(2021) — SUSPENSION
Nov 18, 2021
Incident date: Nov 18, 2021
The contact owns a 2021 Forest River Cherokee Travel trailer. The contact stated that while the travel trailer was parked at a park, the contact performed an inspection and noticed a metal bar had fractured and detached from the rear passenger's side shock. A park host informed the contact that she could not drive the travel trailer on the highway. The travel trailer was towed to the dealer and di... Read more
Incident date: Nov 18, 2021
The contact owns a 2009 Dodge Caliber. The contact stated that upon taking her vehicle to an independent mechanic for a state inspection, she was informed that the rear subframe was severely corroded. The contact was informed that the corrosion had caused a significant hole to form on the rear subframe which could cause a severe failure while driving. The dealer was notified of the failure and the... Read more
Incident date: Oct 28, 2021
The contact owns a 2006 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle drove over a bump in the roadway and the steering wheel had to be turned all the way to the left to keep the vehicle going straight. The vehicle was taken to a non-Hyundai dealer who diagnosed that the cross member of the vehicle was entirely corroded, and the control arm had detached from the cross member... Read more
Incident date: Nov 16, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F53. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign number: 21V202000 (Suspension, Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Par... Read more
Incident date: Nov 16, 2021
I have a 2018 F250 SuperDuty Diesel Truck that has approximately 20,000 miles. I was driving approximately 60 mph and my steering wheel jumped out of my hands and began to shake and a loud noise from the truck itself was audible as I continued down the road. I applied the brake slowly and was able to pull over. I noticed as I slowed that the noise and shaking stopped. I waited for all the cars to ... Read more
Incident date: Aug 2, 2021
Vehicle has had 2 wheel alignments in the first 2500 miles the car drifts pulls off the road the steering is loose vague no sense of contact with the road. Rear cross alert not function almost got hit by cars moving behind me. Not sure if other safety systems even work. The tires maybe defective too.
CHEVROLET
SILVERADO 1500
(2005) — SUSPENSION
Nov 17, 2021
Incident date: Jun 15, 2016
Well, I contacted GM years ago asking why the frames on these vehicles rot out so fast. They told me to send pics. and that’s all that came from that. So, years ago, I heard a banging noise in the right rear side of my truck. My rear shock mount rotted out and driving home later there was even more noise. The left rear shock mount rotted out also. I removed the bed to assess damage, and I couldn... Read more
Incident date: Oct 18, 2021
While driving on the freeway, the steering wheel began to shake vigorously, then the right front wheel came completely off the truck. The ball joints snapped off causing a wreck. My truck slid into the side of a big rig. Luckily nobody was hurt, but the failed ball joints were the cause of the accident in my opinion. I also have the dash cam video from the big rig.
Crash
Incident date: Sep 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Nissan Altima. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, a grinding sound was present coming from the rear of the vehicle. While driving over a bump in the road, the rear of the vehicle collapsed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the rear suspension had detached, and the front and rear axles were faulty and needed to be replaced... Read more
Incident date: Sep 16, 2021
The car sometimes turning - changing lanes - just various times the rear end will slide around - or skid. Just does it various times - does not matter if the road is wet or not. Infiniti Service did not find an issue - but there is definitely an issue. No certain time so hard to pinpoint what is causing it.
Incident date: Nov 17, 2021
Hello, I am writing to you to have an investigation started on 2003 Toyota Sequoia, I own one and there has been concerns with the Frame of the vehicle rotting out, there was Warranty Enhancement Program sent out in United States to cover frames of 2001 to 2004 Toyota Sequoias which replaced severely rusted out frames at the dealership. I use this vehicle for my family and I do not want to endang... Read more
Incident date: Nov 8, 2021
On 8 November 2021 and again on 9 November 2021, I experienced what two Ford service dept's called the "Death Wobble". The first occurred under what was potentially lethal circumstances; twisty mountain roads on I-40W in NC. The front end began shaking violently and uncontrollably, with my vehicle surrounded by moving tractor trailer trucks. I managed to come to a violent stop on the shoulder o... Read more
Incident date: Nov 10, 2021
The vehicle started making occasional "clunking" sounds upon right hand turns around the 120,000 mile mark as if my tire were falling into a pothole that wasn't there. Had one occurrence where a sharp right hand turn resulted into what I'd call a "locked up" steer or loss of steering control and flashing warning light. It then mysteriously resumed normalcy. At 135,000 during a brake job service, m... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2021 Kawasaki Ninja 400. The contact stated while riding at various speeds, the motorcycle would wobble while slowing down. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The motorcycle was taken to a local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that they were unable to assist. The failure mileage was... Read more
Incident date: Oct 22, 2021
The contact leased a 2021 Audi A4. The contact stated that the dealer had provided her with the vehicle rental while her vehicle was being repaired. The contact stated that while driving at 4 MPH and turning into a parking pace on the 4th floor of a parking garage, the vehicle inadvertently accelerated on its own at 100 MPH. The contact depressed the brake pedal several times but it failed to resp... Read more
Crash
1 injured
Incident date: Nov 9, 2021
AWD Lock kicking on by its self while driving. Catilac converter issues.
MERCEDES-BENZ
C300
(2011) — SUSPENSION
Nov 16, 2021
Incident date: Nov 6, 2021
Lost control of vehicle while driving on highway. Brought vehicle to have brakes done at Pep Boys who identify the sub frame was corroded and that vehicle was not drivable, after many attempts with Mercedes Benz, from emails to phone calls also following up with customer service line and not been able to even have them look at the vehicle I’ve decided to follow up with a complaint. My car was ... Read more
Incident date: Nov 12, 2021
Rear Axle Assembly leaking fluid onto rear brake drum and wheel hub assembly, potentially rendering brakes non-functional in rear of vehicle. Excessive drift/play in steering at moderate speeds (40mph+) "Death Wobble" experienced at speeds ~70mph. Front wheels/suspension near total loss of control. Steering column violently shuddering, and required excessive force to control. Vehicle is dealer st... Read more
Incident date: Oct 12, 2021
Sudden acceleration while stopped. Car was stopped in the driveway of my home while waiting for the garage door to open. Suddenly the car bolted forward, crashed through the rising garage door and then through the side of the garage and into the front steps of my home. The car is equiped with auto pilot, but it was not engaged. While reviewing other incidents of this type on your website, I not... Read more
Crash
Incident date: Nov 5, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Cadillac Escalade. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would drive rough. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with needing the struts and shocks replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and told the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall regarding the failure. ... Read more
Crash
VOLKSWAGEN
JETTA SPORTWAGEN
(2014) — SUSPENSION
Nov 15, 2021
Incident date: Nov 15, 2021
I got this car as a certified preowned 2 years ago and it had a broken drivers side spring that the dealer replaced under warranty, yesterday I finally found the rattling problem with the drivers side, It was a broken spring and the sharp end up the spring is jammed against the anti sway bar and the spring is half off the perch. I've already contacted VW by online chat and explained to them, no av... Read more